Jackie & Clive & Silo & The RSPCA

Owl lady Jackie Cullen says she was alarmed but not surprised to read the story about Clive Coleman and his dog Silo (pictured) in the May issue of the Voice. She has had personal experience of being pursued by the RSPCA, also in response to an anonymous phone call, resulting in a prosecution brought against her being dismissed by the judge. ‘The RSPCA give the wrong impression of their powers deliberately to intimidate people. In fact their powers are nil unless they have a police warrant. They don’t have power of entry or arrest.’ Jackie is now helping Clive in a campaign to bring his dog home. In the meantime, she has this advice for anyone approached by the RSPCA: ‘Never speak to them or sign anything unless you’ve got a witness, and never let them into your home without a police warrant.’ She also has this to say to people reporting to the RSPCA owners they suspect of cruelty or neglect: ‘People who don’t know about animals often don’t understand what they’re seeing. They need to think about what they’re doing, and ask themselves, “Am I sure about this, or will I end up doing more harm than good?”’